"Even the most technical, good sticky rubber climbing shoes aren't going to work on a wet rock," said Florine.

A National Park Service spokeswoman said the man and a companion were scaling the steepest part of the trail where rangers recently installed cables to help hikers get to the top of the 8,800-foot rock face.

The cables are installed each summer to assist the thousands of hikers who make the popular 14-mile round trip.